SympleebrwnRN

Hi @EternalFeather! Is a degree in nursing informatics worth it? Well, It all depends on what you're trying to achieve and what your interests are. I personally did not think it was worth it but allow me to put things into context. I went to NYU for my MS in Nursing Informatics and paid a WHOLE lot of money. I absolutely do not believe that a NI degree is worth the amount that NYU was charging especially since a NI career won't guarantee you much more money than you would make as an RN. Ultimately, I don't think you shouldn't let other peoples' opinions influence your decisions. I would recommend that before you go diving deep into NI career, that you do a LinkedIn search or reach out to the NI program that you're interested in attending to see if you can find a Nurse Informaticist that would be willing to let you shadow for a few days or so. This would give you a better perspective on the "day-in-the-life" of a nurse informaticist. When I was shadowing my NI preceptor for my program, I was bored out of my mind! A nursing informaticist job is busy and can be very challenging at times but it wasn't the kind of challenge that I was looking for. If I could do it over again, I would have listened to my gut and searched for a degree that was more aligned with my personality and interests. Good luck!

Hi SJE RN, I'm probably a little late but after reading your message I felt compelled to respond. I feel like we're in the same place. I've been an RN for 3 years and i'm at the point where I can truly say that I HATE NURSING!!!! All of my friends think that i'm well compensated for what I do but I think the complete opposite. I feel that we're basically getting paid to watch our health deteriorate while helping others get healthier. Initially I was just like you, a sponge waiting to be soaked by the wealth of knowledge that nursing offered. Then I realized that I was a human punching bag literally (because I have been punched, bitten..and the list goes on). My unit is also frequently understaffed and despite the fact that we do have ancillary staff with specific duties I always end up doing their work on top of my own. I decided to apply to NP school and will be starting in January as an OUT more than anything. I want to get out of bedside nursing so bad that I can taste it. Yes there are patients who are pleasant and drama free but more often than not many of my patients are neurotic, obsessive compulsive, demented and out right rude which makes that 12 hours even more unbearable. Who would have known that my career would be mostly comprised of me spending time with people/patients that I just can't stand. Because I'm not one to complain and be complacent I figured going back to school would be the best way to empower myself. I say all this to let you know that you're not alone and the feeling is undeniably mutual!!!